Ok, i will bit the troll...
All this post is FUD... at very least is from someone that don't understand how a *nix work.
Why can't apps just work between versions like MacOSX, Solaris, FreeBSD with the compat libs, and even Windows?
Bullsh*t!
What apps stop working because versions of linux, that will not also happen in *bsd? when a app stop working is because the libs are different (ABI if compiled or API if source), sources assumes a compiler behaviour or missing dependencies. If you still have the right dependencies, your app will work... if something fails, a recompile is usually enough. Broken code is still broken code and need to be fixed (or downgrade... a windows 3.1 program will almost for sure not compile in a windows 8 without some changes)
The last big change in linux that turned the old apps incompatible was the a.out to elf migration.
Linus is very strict about never break userlevel API. Kernel level API do change and is up to the company to either open the drivers and collaborate or do the update work herself.
In windows is the same, the kernel drive API can change and is up the companies to supply updated drivers. yes, in windows kernel the kernel drivers API change fewer times, mostly because they release a lot less kernel versions than linux.
I can click on a setup.exe from the XP era and unless it is a horribly written business app requiring local admin (more like win98 style written) it will run on Windows 8 no problem.
just grab the source and recompile... or, like windows, grab a static (or libs included) binary and you can do exactly the same
Why do ATI drivers from 2 years ago not run on Linux? ABI and API compatibilities as Linux developers feel that is evil and encourages binary blobs! Funny no other platform has this problem with them.
they run on linux... just grab a 2 years ago linux version... ohh, you want to use the more current linux version? sure, use the CURRENT binary driver!
why the hell you want to use old drivers on a recent kernel? can you use the windows XP drivers on a windows 8 kernel? most of then it's not possible! if the installer don't have a windows 8 driver, you will hit a brick wall. Binary drivers are always a brick wall when they go unsupported... ALWAYS!
better yet, for a 2 year ago ATI/AMD card, you can just use the open driver and never again look at binary drivers.. that is the power that RMS gave to us all
Socialist ideology about everyone that is closed source is harmful
run, run, the communist will eat our children!! RUN!!
Closed drivers are bad because you never know that when you update your kernel, if those drivers can work... or if they have some bug, you are unable to fix then.
Just look to the android phone market. most older phones can be upgrades to newer versions, not because the linux kernel, but because there are missing drivers for the newer kernels, making it impossible to have a usable phone without support from the manufacturer/chip builder.